


Aftermath

by Arctic_comet



Series: Happy Ending and Beyond [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut, touch of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-01 07:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12700530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arctic_comet/pseuds/Arctic_comet
Summary: In the aftermath of Will's exorcism, Nancy reflects on the events of the last few days and sees that her relationship with Jonathan won't be anything close to simple. Can be read as a one-shot or as part of the series.





	Aftermath

Nancy inhaled the cool night air, willing her heart to settle down. She was still hot; the cabin had been like a furnace less than an hour ago, and her skin and clothes were soaked with sweat. Jonathan was helping his mom and brother to bed, but he’d promised to join her as soon as he could. They both needed fresh clothes from the trunk of his car. She wondered if he was upset she’d used the hot poker on his innocent little brother. Or well, it hadn’t exactly been _Will_ strangling Ms. Byers, but still... It had been harder for him and their mom to separate the monster from the boy.

After all, they were family and pretty much the polar opposite of hers when it came to affection and closeness. She wouldn’t mind being a part of it, but it was up to Jonathan. He’d shut her out last year when his family had needed him, and it could happen again. However, he’d let come with them and wanted her comfort... He’d let her in. So maybe things would be different this time, and not only on her part. He’d been so guilty about not being there for Will when he needed him the most. That he’d been with her, first helping her take down the lab and then... Yeah. She’d been terrified he’d turn away from her in his guilt, that she wasn’t something he should have in his situation. But he hadn’t. Instead he’d first accepted her hand on his shoulder and then squeezed it in the darkness of the car on their way to the cabin and that was the moment she’d known she’d made the right choice. Even if he didn’t say it and would never have asked for it, he needed her, wanted her there. 

They’d been in contact with Hopper, and apparently it was really over. The gate was closed and everyone was still alive. There was no way she and Mike could go home in the middle of the night, looking the way they did, so they’d all agreed to get some sleep first. A part of her thought she should be with Mike. She’d been a terrible big sister for the past year and had a lot to make up for. That was one of the things she liked most about Jonathan: his easy relationship with Will. Somehow she doubted things could ever be that great with her and Mike, but they could be _better_ , she knew as much. At best, they were mere weeks from seeing the end of the Hawkins lab. Barb's parents would have closure. And now that Will was healthy again and Mike had El back, maybe it was time for all of them to move on. That didn't have to mean forgetting (she'd _never ever_ forget), but new beginnings.

She wasn't sure how, but she felt Jonathan's eyes on her even before he laid a hand lightly on her shoulder, pulling her to him for a half-hug.

"They asleep?"

"Yup."

Jonathan cleared his throat as he pulled the trunk open.

“Thank you for being here tonight,” he said.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, going for a light tone.

“I really mean it... You didn’t have to come, Nancy. I don’t even know what we would’ve done if you hadn’t been there when it grabbed Mom.”

“The poker.”

“Yeah. You know neither one of us would ever have-“

She nodded. “I know.”

“I’m sure my mom will thank you better in the morning, but she’ll never forget this. And neither will I.”

It didn’t have to be said but she would’ve done everything in her power to keep him safe. Knowing how much Will loved Jonathan, she believed the boy would agree with her. He tugged on a loose strand of her hair, placing it carefully behind her ear. The hungry look in his eyes reminded her of the night before and she quickly stifled a moan, but there was something else there now, too. _Awe._ He really wasn’t upset with her. He swallowed, moving to take her hand in his.

“Thanks for being there for _me_ ,” he said, at last closing the distance between them.

Despite her exhaustion, memories of the night before rushed into her mind like a wave, fueling her desire to have him again. She briefly wondered if any of this could be considered normal, but what did it matter? They’d both wanted this for a year. They both needed this now.

Her hands moved between them to unbutton and unzip his jeans, and when she shoved her hand into his boxers, he shuddered as if electrocuted.

“Nancy,” he panted. “We should go inside.”

“I don’t mind staying here,” she answered. Maybe they could take advantage of the car... At least they were alone.

“I was thinking... About taking a shower, actually,” he admitted sheepishly, obvious that he was including her in this plan of his.

She smirked at him in the dark. “I like the way you think.”

***

If Heaven existed, there was no way it could be better than being held close by Jonathan under a warm spray of water after a day like this. As she leaned back to rinse her hair, she felt a kiss on her neck. Cutting her hair-washing short, she wrapped her arms around his neck to drag him down for a proper kiss. This time he didn't jump back when reached down and began to stroke him, instead burying his head in her neck to smother a groan. She was about to go down on him, but he grasped her shoulder firmly and shut the water off before wrapping her into a towel.

"You only found one?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, then you'd better come in here, too," she suggested playfully, closing the distance between them to resume kissing and to dry him off. His hands were all over her, drying the skin of her back, belly and sides. When he reached her breasts, he apruptly stopped kissing her, focusing his gaze on her body. She nearly lost it when he licked his lips. At last his mouth closed over one of her nipples while he turned to look into her eyes again. 

"Jonathan," she moaned hoarsely.

Fortunately it seemed like he'd reached the end of his rope, too, as he grasped her hips and lifted her on top of the counter before spreading her legs apart. She was so ready for him already, but he had other thoughts. Kneeling down, he fingered her at first, but her heart pounded in anticipation for what had to be coming next. She bit into her lip at the first touch of his tongue on her clit. He didn’t stop there, continuing his exploration of her response and making her nearly cry out.

“Don’t move,” she ordered when she couldn’t take his teasing anymore.

He got the hint and stayed where he was, his tongue and fingers working on her. Her hips ground against his mouth as her hands flew into his hair, pressing him against her more firmly. The release washed over her like a wave, leaving her weak in the knees. God, she was a whimpering mess, but the self-satisfied grin he flashed her as he got off the floor was everything to her.

“In my bag,” she whispered, seeing him look frantically around them. He grabbed a condom and rolled it on before returning to her.

The night before had been amazing, and yet awkward in many ways. Tonight Jonathan was less shy, his eyes never leaving hers as he satisfied her craving for this kind of connection with him and pushed her closer to the edge again. Tonight there was no vodka making his eyes bleary or encouraging him, but only the glint of desire and love Nancy was sure was reflected back in hers. They were always meant to be together like this. At the same time a part of her was more afraid than ever before, because this boy was capable of tearing her heart into pieces. She'd never wanted to depend on anyone, but some things were too strong to resist forever. A year was a long time, and Nancy was so tired of fighting. 

They tried to be as quiet as possible, but she was unable to hold back the moan leaving her throat when his slender fingers brushed her exactly the way she'd taught him the night before, triggering another orgasm. He came right after her, and afterwards leaned into her shoulder as she sank her fingers into his hair, holding on for dear life. If only they could stay this close to one another forever.

 _It’s going to be okay. You’re mine now._ That was what she was trying to convey to him, hoping he'd understand.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m beat,” he chuckled, pecking the bare skin of her shoulder tenderly.

She groaned in agreement. "Let's get out of here."

***

He’d laid out a mattress and a couple of moth-eaten blankets and pillows on the floor, but at this stage it could’ve been a luxury king-size bed.

“I couldn’t find find two separate mattresses,” he admitted apologetically.

She raised her brows at him.

“I don’t think sharing a bed is that big of a deal considering what we just did,” she teased, enjoying seeing him blush behind his sweet grin.

“Yeah... It’s not about that, just that my mom and Will are going to see us. There will be questions.”

“Does that matter?”

“Does that matter to you? Will’s going to tell Mike for sure.”

She guessed his uncertainty made sense, it wasn’t as if they’d talked about what to tell other people.

“No, it doesn’t matter. Can you just come here already?” she asked, settling down on their makeshift bed. He crawled in beside her and finally opened his arms. She didn’t hesitate to roll over to him. His head landed on top of hers, and she smiled into his chest as he kissed her hair.

“Good night,” he said.

“Good night, Jonathan.”

So she held onto him tight, hoping his decision to let her in would still hold as he recovered from the events of the last day. That his asshole of a dad couldn’t ruin this all the way from Indianapolis. Her reasons for wanting him had nothing to do with wanting to save him, but longing for a companion in all her own weirdness, and the need to build something on this connection- chemistry- that they shared. She'd heard and read about people being all over each other at the start of a new relationship, but she hadn't actually experienced it first hand, at least not after Barb's disappearance. Until now. Had Steve felt this way about her? Did he still? Imagining how it would feel if Jonathan didn't feel the same way about her, she suddenly felt uncomfortable. _Guiltier._ It was a tragedy that she hadn't been able to muster up the feelings for Steve, and even more so that she hadn't given up trying sooner. 

"Jonathan?" she called out softly. She didn't think he was asleep yet.

"Hmmm?"

"I wish I'd waited longer."

"I wish I'd known you were really doing that at all. You know... For me." And here she thought she'd made it perfectly clear to him. But Jonathan was Jonathan, not like the others. Not weird or creepy, just different. One of a kind. And it suited her just fine. She didn't care so much about being normal anymore, either. It was overrated.

The thought had been brewing in the back of her head for a year, but even more vividly after their talk at the motel.

_Will needed me._

If she wanted Jonathan (and she did), she’d have to take his family, too. Accept what they meant to him, no matter how foreign it felt compared to her own dad’s indifference and her mom’s forced smiles at breakfast tables, and treat them as her family, too.

***

In the morning Jonathan drove them all back to the others, but Nancy knew they couldn't linger. Not this time. So, she dragged Mike away from El and somehow convinced him to get into Jonathan's car. She kept her distance from Jonathan during the drive, wanting a bit more time before her mother would inevitably find out and interrogate her on why she wasn't with Steve anymore. Not that she believed her mom would see Jonathan as a problem; she already liked him. And for one reason or another she'd been more distant and less interested in her and Mike's daily lives than usual lately. There was no way she would've ever gotten away with leaving home for three days and her mom never insisting on talking to Ally's or Stacy's parents in the past. Now it was like nobody in the house really cared about either one of them.

"You coming or what?" asked Mike, as Jonathan pulled to a stop in front of her house.

"I'll be there in a minute, you go on ahead."

Mike rolled his eyes at her before striding off towards the front door, but she ignored him.

"So...," she started.

"So... Ummm. I could call you?" Jonathan suggested.

She was about to nod, but then remembered.

"Actually, you can't. I broke your phone," she replied.

Jonathan squinted at her, barely concealing a grin.

"Yeah, I think I remember now."

"I could buy you guys a new one, and bring it tomorrow after school... If that's okay with you."

"You don't have to buy us a new phone, Nancy."

"I really want to."

He finally nodded, giving in.

"Okay then. Yeah, you could come by tomorrow. I'll be back to school as soon as Will is, which knowing him shouldn't be too long. He'll miss his friends too much."

She smiled.

"And you won't miss yours at all?"

"There's just one I want to see, but she says she'll be stopping by tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Really."

"It'll be weird tonight, you know, not having you sleep in the same room."

"Yeah."

He reached for her hand and stared at it, clearly not knowing what to say. She knew the feeling. So much had happened in the past week, both between them as well as in general. It was a little overwhelming.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Jonathan shook his head.

"Not really, I guess... It's just that I don't want the past to repeat itself."

"Me neither."

"But don't feel like you have to be involved in any of this. It's heavy stuff, as you know, and you have your own demons to fight. A lot's happened recently, I'd get it if you needed time."

So he was offering her another out. _Trust issues,_ she reminded herself. One day he'd be less scared. It was still hard not to feel insulted. Hurt welled up in her and she spoke without another thought.

"You want to take it all back then?" she accused him, pulling her hand away.

"Jesus, Nancy, no. I don't want to take any of it back. I don't regret anything," he answered softly.

"Then why can't you believe that I could possibly feel the same way?"

 Jonathan said nothing, and she felt a lump forming in her gut. 

On the other hand, didn't taking a timeout after everything sound like something mature people would probably do? Take a bit of time to think about the closure their work would hopefully soon bring to Barb's parents and to reflect on her failed relationship (although in hindsight it had been doomed ever since they'd gotten back together).

Nevertheless, weren't they still the same people deep down that had retreated out of distrust, fear and pride? It was likely they were fooling themselves if they thought taking a bit of time wouldn't drive them back to their corners and lead to another missed opportunity to be together. If she let him go now, he wouldn't come for her any more than he had a year ago. They'd spend senior year working as lab partners or whatever, never talking about what had happened and she'd still feel his eyes on her as she walked the hallways, as much as he'd feel hers. It was so stupid. _Why would they do this?_

"Sorry," she murmured.

"It's okay. I just don't have an answer to that question."

"I know. I don't need one."

"So you're still coming by tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Good," he replied, smiling again.

She leaned into him, only to rest her forehead against his for a few seconds. He pressed a quick kiss on her lips, leaving her with a stupid smile.

"See you tomorrow," she said, pulling away and opening the car door. Tearing herself away from him had turned out to be even harder than she'd anticipated.

"See you."

They waved at each other as he drove away, and suddenly she felt very alone. Aside from Mike, who seemed to hate her at least half of the time, there was nobody who had any idea what had occurred. 

 

 


End file.
